Reid Calls Rare Live Quorum in Senate

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) late Thursday afternoon called a rare live quorum in the Senate chamber in an effort to break an impasse over a one-month extension to unemployment insurance benefits.

Reid called the live quorum call  during which the Sergeant-at-Arms is authorized to request that Members come to the chamber  following more than an hour of unsuccessful negotiations on the Senate floor with Republicans and Democrats.

Reid spokesman Jim Manley said the quorum call is an attempt to bring all the Members of the Senate together to try and figure out how to proceed on unemployment insurance, adding that the question is whether were going to work through the weekend or if we can work something out Thursday night.

Once all of the Members are on the floor, Reid will start a colloquy and see where things go, Manley said.

Earlier in the day, Reid beat back an effort by Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) to force a vote on a fully paid-for version of the unemployment insurance extension. While the current bill is not fully offset, Republicans and some Democrats believe it should include at least some level of funding.